Boating Knowledge Base

Have a sailing question? Access NauticEd’s sailing and boating knowledge base, and gain in-depth answers to your sailing questions. If you’re interested in powerboating, visit our new powerboating blog.

Sailboat docked at a marina with a neatly coiled rope on the pier under a clear blue sky.

Securing Your Sailboat

It is convenient to have dock lines that are pre-set to the right length with loops on the end and are permanently mounted onto the marina cleats. Now, when you return to the dock you simply slip the loops over your vessel cleats.
October 12, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Two sailboats navigate wind conditions of 20 and 10 knots, illustrating sailing dynamics and wind impact.

Reefing the Sails

Before heading out, check forecasted wind conditions to see if you might need to reef at some point during the day. If so, make appropriate reefing preparations in the calm marina and ensure your crew knows the procedure.
October 12, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Navigation Tools

No matter the chart in use, the navigator’s work largely involves the determination of direction and distances. The most useful tools for actual chart work are...
October 25, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Illustration of a sailboat viewed from above, showing sail, mast, and keel, highlighting basic sailing structure.

Using Spring Lines for Docking

A spring line is just a dockline that is placed strategically from the boat to the dock to help maneuver and turn the boat in place - get it safely into the dock or safely away.
October 24, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Diagram of green light patterns: Flashing (2), Flashing, Occulting, Quick Flashing, ISO for nautical navigation signals.

Lights on ATONS

Lights are installed on some ATONS. The lights are usually alternating on and off on some consistent interval to distinguish one ATON from another.
October 24, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Diagram illustrating air flow and force on a sail from NauticEd, a leading sailing education course provider.

Understanding How Airflow Creates Lift

Understanding how Airflow creates lift and the need for smooth airflow when sailing...
August 23, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Open yacht anchor locker with chain and windlass, showcasing teak deck and railing against blue sea backdrop.

Electric Windlass

An electric windlass is a powerful electric winch that greatly helps in the lowering and raising the anchor.
October 23, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Blue sailing life vest featuring durable straps and a cartoon logo. Ideal for safety and buoyancy on the water.

Personal Flotation Devices

The terms “life jacket” and “PFD” are interchangeable, with the latter used in the USA and the former used in most of the rest of the world.
October 17, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Magnetic field lines around a bar magnet, illustrating north and south poles with curved lines of force.

Magnetism

We begin with a phenomenon called magnetism. This phenomenon was known thousands of years before electricity. Magnetism was discovered...
October 16, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Crew celebrating on a sailboat race, clear skies and other sailboats in the background.

The Geography of Confidence

Unlock your boating potential by gaining knowledge. Explore how boating confidence through education expands your horizons.
September 14, 2025/by Merrill Charette
Sailboat gliding on calm sea during a vibrant sunset, highlighting the beauty of sailing at dusk.

Vessel Lights and Shapes

Nighttime can be a beautiful time to sail. However, night vision is not the same as day vision and so rules have been established to ensure safety.
October 12, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Antique log-line and bucket display, used in traditional navigation for measuring a ship’s speed at sea.

Navigation Units

Sailors are forever measuring stuff. This brings us to the subject of navigation units. As we all remember from the good ol’ school days, measurement is the process of comparing something with an established standard.
October 13, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Comparison of masthead and fractional rig sailboats with labeled diagrams showing sail positions.

Mast Head and Fractional Rigging

There are two variations on the standing rigging set up: Masthead and Fractional. On masthead rigs, the attachment point for the sidestays (shrouds), forestay, and backstay (if they exist) is at the top of the mast.
October 15, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Vertical axis wind turbine for sailboats, eco-friendly marine power solution.

Sailboat Wind Power Generators

Wind-power generators are typically installed only on ocean-crossing vessels, where the vessel is away from the marina for extended periods of time and where there is a need for conserving onboard fuel.
October 23, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Couple relaxing on the deck of a sailing yacht, enjoying a sunny day on clear blue water.

Anchoring Basics

Anchoring is not simply throwing a "hook" and letting out a line. Although by watching some sailors this seems to be their theory. The best way to approach anchoring is to dissect it into a series of individual steps.
April 13, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Sailboats cruising on open sea under clear skies, showcasing vibrant sails and sleek designs.

Sailboats vs Sailboats Nav Rules

Sailboats On The Same Tack The Rule 12 a(ii) when both have the wind on the same...
August 24, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Sailing boat heels with mast head pull technique on water.

Mast Head pull heeling versus wind heeling

A few takeaways worth sharing:

Always invest in your rig. Standing rigging isn’t the place to economize. Spreaders, shrouds, terminals—they’re not just hardware, they’re load-management systems.
Use stretchy docklines for masthead pulls. We used a 3/4" dockline, and that stretch mattered. Shock loads are the real killers. Even a small wave can create load multipliers that dwarf steady-state forces.
Smooth beats strong. Every time. No snatch loads. No jerks. Just steady pressure.
January 3, 2026/by Grant Headifen
Burned marine shore power plug showing signs of electrical damage in hand, indicating potential safety hazard.

Shore Power Connection

One of the more common sources of fire on a boat is a loose connection of the shore power to the receptacle plug on the stern of the boat.
October 22, 2023/by Grant Headifen

True Wind vs. Apparent Wind

Learn the basic difference between True Wind and Apparent Wind...
August 27, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Red and blue waterproof sailing jackets, perfect for marine adventures and protection against harsh weather.

Clothing for Sailing

Dressing appropriately for weather conditions is an important but often overlooked topic. Weather in the marina may be considerably different from weather beyond the marina and conditions can drastically change during your venture.
October 17, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat deck with installed solar panels, capturing sunlight for sustainable energy on the water.

Topping Up your Energy on a Sailboat

There are several methods to top-off your energy on a sailboat.
April 14, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Sailboat race diagram illustrating tactical positions and wind direction on open water.

Crew Overboard

Crew ("Man") Overboard (MOB) is fortunately relatively rare, but chances are that in your sailing career it will happen.
October 21, 2023/by Grant Headifen
Scenic harbor view with sailboats docked along a quaint seaside village, surrounded by lush greenery and hillside houses.

Mediterranean Mooring Techniques

Mediterranean Mooring Techniques is where the rubber meets the road—or, in this case, where the gel coat does not touch the big bad hard concrete wall.
May 15, 2024/by Grant Headifen
Diagram of yacht mainsail with furling system, showing compartments for sail furl and cable run from forward to aft.

Standing Rigging

To keep the mast from toppling over, an array of rods, cables, ropes (lines), and wires are attached at various spots on the mast and run down to the bow, stern, and sides of the vessel.
October 23, 2023/by Grant Headifen

Last updated on December 6th, 2024